Dark

by Candice Fox

Los Angeles. Dayly, die Tochter der unverbesserlichen Diebin Sneak Lawlor, ist verschwunden. Sneak bittet ihre ehemalige Zellengenossin, die wegen Mordes verurteilte und gerade entlassene Ärztin Blair Harbour um Hilfe. In ihrer Not wenden sich die beiden Frauen auch an die Polizistin Jessica Sanchez, die gerade ein 7-Millionen Haus geerbt hat und von ihren Kollegen deswegen gehasst wird. Und weil die Spur der wie vom Erdboden verschluckten Dayly ins kriminelle Milieu führt, stößt auch noch die ultraharte Gangsterin Ada Maverick zu der Truppe. Denn es geht um Geld, um sehr viel Geld. In der Todeszelle sitzt derweil der Bankräuber und Mörder Fishback und zieht die Fäden ...

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

395 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2020

About the author

Candice Fox is the middle child of a large, eccentric family from Sydney's western suburbs composed of half-, adopted and pseudo siblings. The daughter of a parole officer and an enthusiastic foster-carer, Candice spent her childhood listening around corners to tales of violence, madness and evil as her father relayed his work stories to her mother and older brothers.

As a cynical and trouble-making teenager, her crime and gothic fiction writing was an escape from the calamity of her home life. She was constantly in trouble for reading Anne Rice in church and scaring her friends with tales from Australia's wealth of true crime writers.

Bankstown born and bred, she failed to conform to military life in a brief stint as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy at age eighteen. At twenty, she turned her hand to academia, and taught high school through two undergraduate and two postgraduate degrees. Candice lectures in writing at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney, while undertaking a PhD in literary censorship and terrorism.

Hades is her first novel, and she is currently working on its sequel.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candice Fox shifts location for what looks like the start of a gritty new character driven crime series from Oz to LA, but retains her trademark abilities for creating offbeat, complex and colourful characters, often downright dangerous, along with her compulsive and atmospheric prose. Blair Harbour's privileged life as a paediatric surgeon goes down the pan when she is convicted of killing a neighbour, pregnant, she gives birth to Jamie in prison, with friends Sasha and Henry fostering him. Changed by prison, addicted to ringing random strangers for conversation, she is now out on parole, working hard to keep on the straight and narrow so that she can make the case for seeing more of her now 9 year old son, the only job she can get as a ex-con at a cartel run Pump'N'Jump at night. One night, a terrified and injured young woman comes in and robs the store and takes Blair's car.

Instead of reporting the robbery, Blair takes money out of her bank account and puts it in the till to cover the stolen cash. When drug addicted Emily 'Sneak' Lawlor, so light fingered you have to be prepared to lose your possessions, turns up on Blair's doorstep, she tries to prevent her coming in, consorting with criminals will land her back in prison. However, Sneak's daughter, Dayley, has gone missing, and Sneak is desperate, and despite everything, even Jamie, Blair wants to help, besides there is a part of her that has missed the turbulent and dangerous environment of prison, so much so that she ropes in Ava Maverick, a powerful, ruthless and vicious crime lord to help find Dayley, on the basis she reckons Ava owes her. The three women turn up on LAPD detective Jessica Sanchez doorstep, asking for her input and support. Jessica is a hard working detective responsible for Blair's conviction, but is it possible she made a dreadful error?

Jessica's life as a police detective is going down the pan, any lingering perception she might have harboured of the police as family is severely tested when the police community, especially her cop partner, turn on her as one when Stan Beauvoir leaves her his multi-million dollar home. Against all the odds, Jessica's ferocious determination found the killer of his daughter, Bernice. Jessica has little intention of accepting the house, but her ire is aroused when she finds she is getting no back up, left in scenarios where her life is at risk, and constantly harrassed and assaulted. The situation deteriorates when Jessica finds herself further humiliated with the public sharing by the police of a video revealing her sexual proclivities, a video that going viral.

Despite being on opposite sides of the law, there are characteristics that Blair and Jessica have in common. Blair, after all the injustices she has faced, all that she has lost, most importantly, Jamie, not to mention all those years in prison, which by all rights should have eroded her ability to trust and help others. However, she has retained her humanity and innate compassion, continuing to put herself on the line to help a fellow prison inmate, Sneak, even though she stands to lose everything, and she keeps wanting to help others. Her judgement is not always right, but the essential goodness of her character shines through. Jessica's faith and belief in the police collapses in spectacular fashion, but she is no ordinary detective, she believes in justice, and she is willing to go to considerable lengths to see that justice is served, even when it goes against her personal interests. It is these two women, their lives and relationships that are the highlight of this wonderful piece of crime fiction from the talented Fox. Brilliant read. Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone for an ARC.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a mind bending, adventurous, exciting ride!

Too many badass, quirky, adorable heroines, one action packed, whirlwind, riveting, twisty case of missing girl and intriguing, unputdownable, fast and furious paced writing style! I don’t know what you think but I’m so sold! This is one of the best thriller reads I lately have!

Complex, realistic women characters and their intense back stories are perfectly intercepted! At the center of this compelling journey, we’re introduced to Blair Harbour: the main character, once upon a time a pediatric surgeon who finds herself behind the bars, on parole after nine years long prison time. They think she killed her neighbor. Now she’s working at the store belongs to a cartel, laying low, pushing hard to take custody of her young son Jamie who was born in prison and taken care by family friends.

She tries too hard to be perfect law abiding citizen, obeying rules of her parole but contacting with her prison cell mate Sneak Emily Lawlor who needs a big favor from her will change everything in her more dramatically than she can ever imagine.

Sneaky helped her toughen up to survive at the prison jungle and now it’s time for her to pay back to her friend who has sticky fingers which help to steal other people’s things ( that sarcastic, smart woman who likes drugs, has a dark sense of humor grows on you! You start accepting her flawed behavior, her excuses for not living at the right side of justice! )

Blair might be the last person who has seen Emily’s daughter Dayley who picked interest of very dangerous crime lord Ada Maverick.

When Blair decides to ask help of Jessica Sanchez who is the detective put her behind the bars, an action packed, thrilling adventure begins! Jessica has also her own kind of baggage, inherited $ 7 million home from former client. As you can imagine that kind of big gesture isn’t handled so well by her colleagues and her clients’ family. She is still lost what to do with her life.

I love each of the character portraits and the dysfunctional partnership of Jessica and Blair: the parts both of them review their opinions about each other. Blair sees the soft part of Jessica as she learns her custody problem about her lovely son and Jessica starts to rethink maybe Blair was an innocent she has arrested from a crime she didn’t commit.

I kept turning the pages to learn what is gonna happen and crossing my fingers for satisfying and justified conclusion for both heroines’ stories!

This was mind blowing, exciting, well written, gripping, thrilling ride that I highly recommend to the genre lovers!

I received a free ARC of Gathering Dark by Candice Fox from Macmillan in an exchange for honest review. So many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this fascinating reading.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candice Fox always writes such fantastic, quirky characters into her novels and there is quite a cast in Gathering Dark.

The novel centres around Blair Harbour, one time successful pediatric surgeon who is on parole after nine years in prison for killing her neighbour. She is trying to stay on the right side of the law and meet her parole conditions so she can have increased custody of her delightful son Jamie, born in prison and fostered by friends. That is until her prison roommate Emily 'Sneak' Lawlor turns up. With sticky fingers for other people's belongings, an appetite for drugs and a sassy attitude, she is trouble with a capital T, but her daughter Dayley is missing and Blair may have been the last one to see her.

Add to the mix, Ada Maverick, LA's scariest crime lord (she's no lady), Jessica Sanchez, the LAPD detective who put Blair away, Jessica's police partner who is hell bent on making her life difficult, a criminal on death row with a huge stash of money hidden on the outside and this becomes one action packed blast of a thriller.

Although the plot is excellent with plenty of suspense as well as humour as the mystery of Dayley's disappearance is eventually teased out after much sleuthing by Blair and Sneak, it is really the characters that are the focus of this novel and the question of what will happen to them that drives the reader. Will Blair be able to stay out of jail and get to see more of Jamie? Will Jessica be able to resolve her difficulties with the LAPD and decide what to do with her life? Why is Ada interested in Dayley and will she end up murdering Blair and Jessica? Hopefully this is the start of a new series as I would really enjoy seeing more of these characters again in the future.

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blair Harbour has recently been released from prison and is now working at a petrol station when she is robbed of the till takings and her car by a young woman. This event unleashed a chain reaction of events that takes Blair into tremendous danger, not least from ex-con Ada who is one scary woman. Detective Jessica Sanchez faces her own issues especially from colleagues within the LAPD with whom she has a tricky relationship. Jessica was Blair’s arresting officer and their two different world collide again in this exciting thriller. The story is told by Blair and Jessica and this works really well with smooth transitions between the different points of view.

First of all, it’s great when thrillers feature a cast of strong women and that what these most certainly are. Blair, a respected paediatrician in a former life, has to learn to stand up for herself in prison and she is helped by another really good character, Sneak Lawlor who can definitely be described as colourful but you can’t help liking. Jessica faces a lot of hostility from fellow officers who should have supported her but fail to do so and I love some of her revenge tactics though I probably shouldn’t! I adored the inclusion of the rescued gopher in the storyline and this adds a real quirkiness and brings out the soft side of some very tough customers! Jamie, Blair’s son is a delightful child and he gives some breathing space between the hard hitting action and brings out the softer side of Jessica, for example.

The book is thrilling from start to finish. It grabs your attention from the get go as these tough cookies battle it out to find elusive truths, a stash of money and evade those who are trying to stop them any way they can. The book is very well written, there’s humour interspersed with the drama which is a good tension breaker. The plot is excellent and build to a real crescendo of a conclusion- it’s explosive, smart, there are some surprises with some. characters acting true to form and some with genuine kindness. I’d love to read about Blair and Jessica again and I hope that is the authors plan as these characters are too good to be one offs!

Overall, it’s a fast paced action thriller with colourful characters, believable dialogue and a plot premise that unfolds really well. It’s slick, gripping and keeps your attention throughout.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Cornerstone/Arrow for the ARC in return for an honest review.

[Lit with Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: 3/5

SYNOPSIS

Former surgeon Blair Harbour is fresh outta jail when she finds herself looped back into the world of crime.

MY OPINION

I read this straight off the back of Fire with Fire because I needed MORE of Candice Fox's superb writing and storytelling. Unfortunately, this one fell a lil short for me. While it's definitely entertaining and would make for GREAT TV, I couldn't completely buy into this wild ass ride.

So this was like... citizens gone VERY rogue meets police procedural? The whole drama with Detective Jessica Sanchez and her squad was BLEH. I've seen some people say they don't read police procedurals because it's "copaganda", but I promise you, this is NOT 😂 Fox is definitely not tryna paint the LAPD in a good light. Nah, she painted the LAPD in that shitty low watt bulb lighting. I could've done without that entire storyline and tbh Jessica's extracurriculars were a lil too reminiscent of Detective Helen Grace from M.J. Aldridge's series.

The citizens gone rogue part was also doing TEW much. Mya and Sneak would've made for GREAT TV, but the pair together pushed this into OTT territory. Sneak on her own was enough. I did appreciate how Candice made Sneak the ultimate 'morally grey' or 'flawed' protagonist, but Mya was giving me caricature. I also couldn't get a handle on Blair's character. Sometimes she acted like she only wears pastel pink cardigan sets from J. Crew and other times she acted reckless and rude af (giving the middle finger to Saskia's friends seemed outta pocket). Thankfully after spending 10 years in jail she didn't act as daft as Millie from The Housemaid who also allegedly spent 10 years inside, but still — there was something off about her.

Maybe I've read too many books but it was also really predictable. As soon as the sperm donor (dad) was introduced, I clocked it. I wouldn't say Candice Fox is well-known for a jaw-dropping twisty twist (she's more into delivering high-octane thrillers), but still... it definitely ruins the shine when you already know wassup 25% into a book. Anyways. I was still flippin those pages so let me just STFU.

This wasn't a bad book, but if you're thinking of dibble dabbling in Candice Fox, definitely check out her Crimson Lake series OR her most recent release, Fire With Fire. She can write. PERIODT.

PROS AND CONS

PROS: well-written, fast-paced, entertaining, Sneak's character was funny

CONS: the LAPD drama, Mya was a caricature, Blair's character seemed inconsistent, better for TV

____________________________

For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited when I learned that Candice Fox had a new book due. I absolutely loved her Crimson Lake series with its utterly compelling characters and the tropical north Queensland setting. I was sad to say goodbye to the location and characters. When I learned the plot for the new book (series?) would take place in Los Angeles I was feeling some apprehension. I needn't have worried. This was a blast to read, with her trademark quirky, intriguing characters. These characters made a mismatched and unlikely group of engaging and disparate personalities.

Blair Harbour has been released from 9 years in prison. She was once a respected, dedicated pediatric surgeon with a kind heart. One night, she shot and killed a neighbour. A witness testified that Blair was mentally delusional at the time. Her son, Jamie, was born in prison and custody given to a couple with whom she was friends. Once wealthy, she is now working at a dead-end job as a clerk in a store. A desperate young woman enters the store, stealing money at gunpoint and leaves driving Blair’s car.

A former cellmate, Sneak Lawlor, visits Blair with an urgent plea. She knows that her daughter, Dayley, vanished after the robbery and is driving Blair’s car. Sneak compels the reluctant Blair to help search for Dayley. They both believe that the girl is on the run from dangerous pursuers. Blair fears becoming involved as she wants to regain custody of now nine-year-old Jamie. Being involved with a former convicted criminal would jeopardize her freedom and dash all hopes of seeing Jamie.

Sneak is far from being an ideal partner in the search. She is a compulsive thief and liar, her mind often addled from hard drugs. Sneak has recruited Ava, a vicious, psychopathic underworld crime figure to help in the search for her daughter. Ava ruled the women in prison by terrorizing them. Ava comes with a couple of her brutal thugs.

The women approach Detective Jessica Sanchez of the LAPD for help. Jessica arrested Blair for murder.
She has inherited a 7 million dollar mansion from a man in gratitude for arresting his daughter’s killer. This has turned the police force against her. In particular, her partner who did little to assist in the investigation is demanding the house or half the proceeds from its sale. He is making life very unpleasant for Jessica. She feels like an outsider in the police force and has been told that if she accepts the offer her job well be terminated.

Jessica has been captivated by Blair’s son who frequently visits. Working with an eccentric male detective, she feels she may have made a mistake sending Blair to prison for cold-blooded murder. She finally agrees to help Blair and Sneak to a limited degree.

With such a diverse group of searchers, can anything go right? These mismatched group of women are bound to get themselves in trouble from within and without their circle. The interactions and actions are humorous, frightening and deadly. While searching for Dayley, it is uncertain from whom she was on the run or why, and little hope that she may be still alive. They learn of a criminal on death row who hid a huge stash of stolen money. They suspect that Dayley may have had some sort of relationship with a policeman.
As they get nearer the truth, it is evident that not everyone will survive. I think this book sets the groundwork for a sequel.
Recommended by Matt Pechey.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up
This is a wildly imaginative, crazy story, perfect for those who want their thrillers fast paced and character rich. There are multiple storylines here and the big question is how they’re all going to come together. Blair has been out of prison for a year, having served a 9 year sentence for murder. She’s working at a PumpNJump one night when she’s held up and her car stolen. Her ex-cellmate, light fingered Sneak, asks her to help find her daughter. The same young woman who robbed Blair the night before. Then there’s Jessica Sanchez, a detective who’s been gifted a Brentwood mansion and has earned the ire of the entire police force because of it. Jessica just happens to be the detective that arrested Blair all those years ago.
It’s an entertaining story and one that kept me on the edge of my seat. The tension is palpable. The characters are wonderful and I was totally engaged with each one of them. How would their stories play out? Credit to Fox for plotlines I never saw coming.
The book flips from character to character, leaving the reader hanging with each chapter end. The ending is pretty unbelievable but I didn’t care. It was just such fun to watch it all play out. There’s an inkling at the end that this might be the first in a series which would be fine by me.
My thanks to netgalley and MacMillan Publishers for an advance copy of this book.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Candice Fox is my favourite female Australian writer, and has been for some time. Her Eden Archer series is my favourite crime series, so dark and clever. I was so excited for Gathering Dark, a new set of characters and the start of a new series. I am pleased to say that it was brilliant and I already can't wait for more.

Gathering Dark is set in LA. It is along way from the Crimson Lake series set in North Queensland. Shall we meet the main characters?

First there is LAPD cop Jessica Sanchez. She loves her job and passionate about what she does. A former client has recently passed away and has left Jessica his $7 million home in LA. This is causing trouble with her colleagues, the police department and the clients family. She is still getting her head around it and trying to work out what to do with it.

Then there is a former LA surgeon, now ex-con Blair Harbour. She has just been released from prison, where she has spent the last 10 years, thanks to Jessica. All she is interested in now is getting her life back on track and reconnecting with the son that she gave birth to in jail.

There is so Sneak (Emily) who was Blair's prison roomie. Her daughter Dayley has gone missing.

And the last of the main characters is Ada - she is an LA crime lord and she is scary! You do not want to get on the wrong side of this woman.

In the search for Sneak's daughter Dayley, these women all work together to find out what happened to her and why? While this is happening Jessica starts to believe that maybe she was wrong about Blair and looks closer at her case.

The women in this book are all so different. Candice Fox writes characters that are so realistic an raw with emotion. It is a clever, with funny one liners set against the dark and dangerous setting of LA and Hollywood.

I could not get enough of these characters and I look forward to learning more about them in future books. I cannot recommend this book or author more.

A very big thank you to Penguin Books Australia for my copy of this book. It is out now in Australia so go and get yourself a copy - you will not be sorry!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find myself excited whenever I come into possession of a new Candice Fox novel, sure that it will both pack a punch and prove to be highly entertaining. This piece was no exception, though it pushes the reader familiar with Fox’s work outside of their comfort zone, at least a little. Blair Harbour had it all as a surgeon in Los Angeles. Then, after a confrontation gone awry, she found herself imprisoned for murder. Having tried to make something of herself, Blair is stuck working a dead-end job. When she’s approached by her friend from prison, Sneak Lawlor, Blair has nothing to lose, except her freedom on a parole violation. Sneak’s daughter, Dayly, has gone missing without a trace. Working with limited information, Blair and Sneak begin their investigation, but get a bad vibe when they try to file a mission person’s report. Meanwhile, LAPD detective Jessica Sanchez has her own issues. Gifted a home by the father of a murder victim whose killer she caught, Sanchez is put in the awkward position of being vilified by her squad, especially a partner who slacked off during the case but feels he is entitled to some of the prize. As she dodged insults and attacks, Sanchez is put on leave when she is part of an officer-involved shooting. As she ponders what to do next, she discovers that one of her former cases, that of Blair Harbour, has resurfaced, with potential new information. As she tracks this down, Sanchez is visited by none other than Blair Harbour herself, all in an effort to track down Dayly Lawlor. As news of Dayly’s last weeks before the disappearance begin to come together, no one could have predicted the turn in the case, or who has a viable reason to want Dayly dead. Rich with plot twists and interesting characters, Fox does well with this novel, leaving the reader to enjoy this new series in the making. Recommended to those who like police procedurals told from a different perspective, as well as the reader who is a diehard fan of Candice Fox.

I rushed to make time in my reading schedule for this book, eager to see what might arise when Candice Fox is working alone. Familiar with a lot of her Australia-based writing, this was a refreshing story, set on the dark streets of L.A. The reader is introduced to a number of strong characters throughout, incline Blair Harbour and Jessica Sanchez. Both women have their backstories told here in some detail, as well as showing some great character development throughout the novel. I choose not to hone in on one as the true protagonist, as their stories are equally important and find a place in the novel. Fox uses her creative mind to concoct a few more wonderful secondary characters that complement these two women, on all sides of the law. This provides a highly entertaining and intriguing development of the story throughout. The premise was quite strong, as is usually the case with Candice Fox, where all central characters are tinged with some criminal backstory or troubles within the police that cannot be ignored. The plot moved along well and the narrative gained momentum throughout. Fox steps away from her usual short chapter teaser style, in which one chapter leaves the reader needing more, and uses a longer and more developed storytelling style. The reader hunkers down to get fully involved. In a novel whose chapters alternate between the Jessica and Blair viewpoints, Fox does well to offer a well-rounded story. If I had a critique, and it is minor, it is that Fox appears not to focus her attention on the setting of the story as it relates to word usage. Spelling and terminology were of an Australian origin (‘s’ instead of ‘z’ for realize, ‘bonnet’ instead of ‘trunk’ of the car). I find this at times when writers are composing pieces outside of their home country, as I wonder why an American ex-con would admit to “not being fussed”. As I said, minor, but there. I cannot wait to see what else Fox has in store for the reader and whether her collaborative efforts will bring us more Harry Blue soon.

Kudos, Madam Fox, for another wonderful piece. Love your writing, your ideas, and how entertained I tend to be when I read your novels!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I loved this! Australian author, Candice Fox, has set this one in Los Angeles for a change. Fox always brings us a zany cast of characters but I think she has outdone herself this time. Meet:
. Blair Harbour - former well-to-do paediatrician, now ex-con after shooting a neighbour dead
. ‘Sneak’ Lawlor - her former cell mate and friend, whore and drug addict and thief extraordinaire
. Detective Jessica Sanchez - in trouble with the LAPD and her colleagues after being bequeathed a
$7 million property by a father grateful that she caught his daughter’s killer, and last but not least
. Ada Maverick - statuesque black beauty, crime boss and ex-con, and deadlier than a rattle snake.

There is a large supporting cast in this rather long book and the plot is...let’s just say it’s very twisted. Sneak seeks out Blair asking for help to locate her 19 year old daughter, Dayly, who has gone missing. Blair realises Dayly is the youngster who held her up at the Pumpn’Jump petrol (gas) station where she works nights and stole her car. The girl looked petrified so Blair agrees to help. Of course things are never simple, never as they seem and you never know who you can trust, particularly when there is money involved, which there is - maybe! Nevertheless these unlikely compadres seem to work more or less together to achieve rather varying (as you will learn) objectives. Of course the, ahem, alliance is subject to interpretation at any given time and danger is ever present.

Other than her trademark quirky characters, Fox also employs a lot of dark humour. This is not a book you need to take too seriously. If you read it with ‘tongue in cheek’ I think you will enjoy it a lot more. I understand this is to become a series and I can’t wait to read the next one. Huge thanks to Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Candice Fox for providing a review copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 1 out of 5]

1-Star - "I did not like it".... Abandoned - DNF @ 85%

Audiobook - 11:10 Hours - Narrators: Erin Bennett, Karissa Vacker Listened: 09:30 Hours - Balance: 01:40 Hours

After granting 2-Stars 'Pro Tempore', I tried to finish this, I really did, but the story was too "intricate" for me and the narration was too "contrived" and thus, the book was crappy.

From my "Reading Activity":
"Gathering Dark" - Candice Fox (Audible Audio Edition)
2.0 Stars 'Pro Tempore' - "It was OK"
I have "Paused" listening to "Gathering Dark", and while the book it is categorised as "Read", I have not "Abandoned" the book all together.
I am temporarily discouraged by my listening (reading) choices in general over most of 2020 and I am weary of commencing a book that I expect to comfortably enjoy, only to find myself not enjoying it and persevering because I feel I must avoid yet another "DNF".
In my feeble defence, I have been dealing with some elevated depression since late last year, most likely exacerbated by various rumblings among my tiresome collection of old bloke's ailments, but this is usually when I fall back on my books, headphones 'superglued' to my ears, and 'listen away' my blues, concentrating on my stories and ignoring outside distractions.
I am returning to listening to some of the "action hero" books which I normally enjoy and which I hope will stimulate my listening buds when I most need them!

"Gathering Dark" - Candice Fox - 22%
Audiobook - 11:10 Hours - Balance 08:43 Hours (Ch 12 of 67)
"Gathering Dark" - Candice Fox - 68%
Audiobook - 11:10 Hours - Balance 03:36 Hours (Ch 40 of 67)
My first reading of listening to a book by this acclaimed Aussie author and regretfully I have to say that, again, I have been struggling to find enjoyment in my current choice of crime novels and authors. For the time being I am laying the blame on my own feeble brain/mind.
I will defer this "pro tempore" at 32% to go.

[Marialyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a fairly quick read and for those who enjoy a strong female protagonist this one might be for you.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twitter |
Goodreads |
Blog |
Instagram |


I have read a couple of Candice Fox books before so, when this dropped through my letterbox from the publishers I thought I’d hunker down this weekend and read this.

It’s the start of another series, which is exciting.

It’s set in LA.

Jessica loves her job.
Then something surprising happens, one of her clients dies and she inherits a huge amount of money.
Life changing.

You can see the struggle she has getting her head around it all.

Then there’s Blair.
Blair is a top Paediatric Surgeon.

Here sets the layout of chapters between the two characters. Very interesting.
Easy to follow.

But Blair was accused of murder. Jessica is well aware why.

After spending ten years in jail, the only thoughts Blair had was finding the son she gave birth to in jail.

We know that Blair was innocent, so having to go through giving birth in prison and her child being taken was harrowing.


But something brings these two women together.
Was Jessica wrong about Blair?

Very tense, moved with a good flow and kept my attention.

Great start to a new series.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinion - not up to her usual standard: re storyline, acting plotting or the writing itself.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5 Stars⭐️
Highly entertaining and delivered at a cracking pace

Candice Fox definitely has a distinctive and original brand of crime writing. Her characters are always flawed and offbeat, and there's always just the right dose of dark humour in her writing.

Gathering Dark is set in LA, the ultimate location for this crime novel.

In this cast of complex and compelling female characters the story is told in the voices of Blair and Jessica.

Disillusioned cop Jessica Sanchez has just inherited a $7 million sprawling Mcmansion as a reward for solving a cold case. It’s given her the status of public enemy number one within the LAPD and things are beginning to get nasty.

Blair Harbour, a convicted killer was once a wealthy and respected surgeon, she is now an ex-con working at the Pump ’n’ Jump gas station. She is determined to keep her nose clean and win back custody of her son, Jamie.

Will Blair give up her freedom when her former cellmate Sneak Lawlor begs her for help to find her missing daughter?

I loved this crime thriller with it’s dark and witty parts. The characters are expertly written and intriguing even the gopher! I will never forget the revenge taken in Wallert’s car, hilarious!!! If you are looking for a seriously thrilling crime read, look no further.

[Damo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Gathering Dark, Candice Fox demonstrates yet again what a superior storyteller she is. She has put together a compelling thriller that combines a strong and eclectic cast of characters with a devious plot. In many ways it has all the hallmarks of being the first book in a series that has boundless possibilities.

Blair Harbour is out on parole after serving ten years in prison for the shooting murder of her next door neighbour. In her previous life she was a respected paediatric surgeon who devoted her life to saving children. When she was arrested and convicted she was already pregnant with her first child. He’s now 10 years old, virtually a stranger to his mother and full of the breathless curiosity of youth.

She breaks her parole when Sneak, a friend and thief from inside visits her one day. It turns out Sneak’s daughter Daley has gone missing. It also turns out Daley’s the same young woman who has just held Blair up at the service station where she works. Together, Blair and Sneak begin their own search for the missing girl.

Jessica Sanchez is a homicide detective with the West Los Angeles Police Department and she’s just inherited a multi-million dollar house from a man whose case she had been working on. Her windfall has not gone down well with other members of the department, particularly her partner who also worked the case with her, admittedly, he was sloppy, lazy and completely useless at his job. Regardless of the fact she’s been largely cut adrift by her fellow officers, she remains an outstanding detective and tends to leave no stone unturned when she’s at work.

Unsurprisingly, the paths of Blair and Jessica cross. They form an extremely uneasy alliance, made even more awkward by the fact that, 10 years earlier, Jessica was the arresting officer in Blair’s murder case.

While there’s a missing person case going on, we’re also witnessing a story of redemption and a need to right the wrongs of the past. Spicing things up is a whole collection of nasty and totally dangerous characters who serve a couple of purposes. Funnily enough, one of those purposes is to provide us with a weird comedic slant to the story. The other, naturally, is to inject all kinds of jeopardy into the story. Daley didn’t go missing for no reason and the fact that Blair, Sneak and Jessica are getting themselves involved means they’re making a target of themselves.

For me, Gathering Dark is all about the moments. There are some omigod moments, not to mention oh no she didn’t moments as well as plenty of mortifyingly embarrassing moments. It all adds up to a highly entertaining drama that, at times, toys with the heartstrings while also quickening the pulse. The fact that the book includes an exuberant child and a pocket gopher ensures that the feel good factor is high and this provides plenty of memorable moments too.

But, for anyone who enjoys a heart-racing thriller featuring substantial characters boasting interesting backgrounds, they will certainly enjoy this. It’s an entertaining, well-devised crime novel that charges full steam ahead without fear of consequence, just like Blair and Sneak themselves.

[Val Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Random House, Cornerstone and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Gathering Dark. I've read most of Candice Fox's books so was expecting to enjoy this one and I was not disappointed, This thriller was exciting, had an unusual storyline and as always kept me guessing what would happen next. The characters, again , as always with Candice Fox's books are well researched and quirky.

Unlike most of Fox's books this was not based in Australia, but based in Los Angeles. Blair Harbour has only been out of prison for a year, when her former cell mate, Sneak , turns up to ask Blair to help her find her missing daughter, Dayly. Meanwhile, Jessica Sanchez, the LAPD detective who put Blair away is having her own issues at work and begins to wonder if she did the right thing over ten years ago.

The book was written from two perspectives, Blair and Jessica and was a really good approach for this book and takes you on a wild adventure, not to be missed.

I'm not sure if this is a one off or the start of another incredible series, but hoping its the latter as I'd be really excited to know what happens next..

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is curious to me why Aussie Authors set their stories in the U.S and make their characters very 'L.A'. This is what I thought especially in relation to Blair Harbour (a disgraced paediatric surgeon), her name is everything American, but I was pleased that Harbour was spelt the Aussie way.

The Americanness didn't decreacse the way I enjoyed the book, but it did feel very glizty. Blair spends 10 years in prison; she's a strong woman, very resiliant and accepting of her lot in life. Even seems to embrace the hard work of a dead end job in a service station. She's had to be this strong, she was pregant when she went into prison, and gave birth in hand cuffs. I always wondered about this, a woman isn't going to go on the run while birthing a child, it would get in the way and make it so much worse! Anyway, I digress.

Blair gets caught up in her ex cell mates mess when this ex cell mate, Sneak (yes you read correctly) daughter goes missing. Sneak was such a fun character to witness, an ex gymnast drug addict come talented thief, she's hilarious. And to contrast this is Blair, in her compassionate and tough ways.

Blair's good friend is 'Mum' to her son, and Blair sees her son once a week, and Blair wants to build on this, she doesn't need the dramas this messy situation is getting her into.

Jessica Sanchez, Detective, happens to live in the same complex as Blair's son, and they form an unlikely bond. Jessica has her demons; she is looking into Blair's case which occured at the time of her green days, when she was brand new. Could she have been wrong all those years ago?

Gritty, clever, dark, witty and substantial, Candice mentions in her acknowledgements this was her hardest book to write. The thing about Candice Fox is she writes from real life experience. She hasn't always conformed, has seen the world of foster care life, military and even adademia. I am not sure if she still lectures, but she is a smart woman to be doing post grad studies and churning out best sellers. Collaborating with James Patterson means something.

I loved the ending, and the conflict of emotions with Blair and the realisation of the prison time she shoudln't have served. I will definitely look forward to number two. Loved the women here most of all, Sneak, Blair then Jessica. This author builds awesome characters which I feel like they could be in my head and clever, skilled and detailed writing.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars for Gathering Dark (audiobook) by Candice Fox read by Erin Bennett and Karissa Vacker.

This story has an amazing set of quirky characters. Several criminals and a couple of police officers are looking for this girl. Things get complicated as it looks like the girl may have gotten the directions to a fortune.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blair Harbour is one year out of prison when her former cell mate, Sneak, asks for help in finding her missing daughter, Dayly. Meanwhile, Jessica Sanchez, the detective who put Blair away is second guessing herself on the charge and conviction, especially when Blair comes asking for her help in finding Dayly.

I thoroughly enjoyed Gathering Dark which is an exciting thriller with quirky, memorable characters, not least Hugh Jackman, the gopher. The novel alternates its narrative between Blair and Jessica. I’m not always a fan of this approach, often finding it distracting but it works really well here. Both women are strong characters with both interesting back stories and attitudes. Jessica’s difficulties with the department are imaginative and extremely funny and Blair’s story would break your heart, especially as she’s still refreshingly naïve about people after serving a 10 year sentence. I liked the way this narrative style lets the reader see each character from two very different perspectives as it adds a certain something to the read. All the characters are good with telling details bringing them to identifiable life. The author has a real eye for this.

The plot is great. Not to be taken too seriously it widens from a simple missing person enquiry into something much bigger with sociopathic criminals and dirty cops added in to the mix. It has me glued to the pages as I wondered what was coming next. I would never have guessed at the outset how it would finish or how it would get to that finish. It’s smart and inventive.

Gathering Dark is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Aniruddha M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four diametrically different women - a renowned surgeon👩‍⚕️turned convicted killer, a marginalized LAPD cop👮‍♂️🚔, a menacing crime boss from the LA underworld and a deadbeat drug 💊addict mother, all come together to search for her missing daughter.... What they find is beyond comprehension! A fascinating novel from the Australian author - Candice Fox!! Please read my detailed review here https://rb.gy/dr6xv6
Do 🏃🏽‍♂️Visit, 📖Read, 👍Like, Comment💭 or Share 🚩 It's incredibly encouraging 🙏
#gatheringdark #candicefox #australianauthor

[Larry H · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Candice Fox's Gathering Dark is a twisty thriller that gets your pulse pounding from the very start.

Blair was once a pediatric surgeon, renowned and respected. Until, that is, she killed her neighbor and spent a number of years in prison. Now she’s trying to rebuild her life, stay out of trouble, and hopefully gain custody of her son.

When she gets an unexpected visit from Sneak, her former cellmate, Blair’s carefully laid plans for keeping a low profile fall out the window. Sneak’s daughter, Dayly, has gone missing, and Sneak asks for Blair’s help in tracking her down. Even though she knows the risks of associating with Sneak, Blair can’t think about leaving any person’s child in danger.

Meanwhile, police detective Jessica Sanchez is ostracized by her department because she was left a sizable inheritance after she found the killer of a wealthy man’s daughter. Her treatment from fellow officers gets increasingly cruel—she’s left without backup and her private life is made public.

When Jessica gets a visit from Blair, whom she arrested for murder years before, she’s expecting retribution. But Blair is looking for help, not revenge. She asks Jessica to help her and Sneak and another person they’ve recruited to find Dayly. Should Jessica turn Blair in or help?

I’ve not read any of Candice Fox’s books before but this definitely kept me turning the pages. Some of the twists were a little unbelievable, but I was hooked from start to finish.

I was glad to be part of the blog tour for Gathering Dark . Storygram Tours and Forge Reads provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.

Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beyond the fact that both feature a disaffected (former) police officer as a central character, Gathering Dark is quite a departure from Candice Fox's Australian-set Crimson Lake series.
The story is set in Los Angeles, and told from the alternating points of view of two strong yet troubled women: former paediatric surgeon and convicted murderer Blair Harbour, recently released on parole and trying to establish a relationship with the son born soon after she was imprisoned; and Detective Jessica Sanchez, a tenacious investigator feeling shunned by colleagues after having been bequeathed a multi-million dollar property by a grateful member of the public. Jessica also happens to be the cop who arrested and cemented the case against Blair following the shooting death of Blair's neighbour ten years previously.
Blair's quiet attempts to rebuild a life for herself are thrown aside when she is held up in the store where she works and is then contacted by Squeak, a kleptomaniac with whom she was close in prison - Squeak's daughter Dayly was the woman who held Blair up and she has now disappeared. A rather odd quartet is formed as Blair and Squeak call on Jessica's assistance to help find Dayly, and also that of psychopathic crime boss Ada Maverick - another contact of theirs from prison.
The plot is fast-paced and engaging, with many enthralling sub-plots including the rather tense relationship Blair has with the couple, past friends of hers, who have raised her son Jamie in Blair's absence, and the escalating war of attrition between Jessica and her former detective partner, who feels he is entitled to a share of her inheritance.
The characters of Blair and Jessica are well-developed, complex and inspire empathy in the reader. Supporting characters are also engaging and believable. Ada is a monster, but I thoroughly enjoyed every scene in which she appeared.
I haven't come across any reports suggesting that Gathering Dark is anything but a standalone, however, the ground was set in the final chapters and I dearly hope that Candice Fox intends to develop a series featuring Blair and Jessica, as I'd love to read more of them. Very highly recommended.

[Bookread2day · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is on my website www.bookread2day.wordpress.com
This is the very first time I have read a book by this author. I found Gathering Dark by Candice Fox a page turning experience, where the pace never stops. Loved every page. Now I have finished Gathering Dark I’m looking forward to reading her next book.

Before Blair Harbour had been arrested she had treated the kids of the stars for nine years, and drove a Mercedes-Benz.

While Blair is in prison she gave birth to her son with her wrists shackled to the bed in the infirmary at Happy Valley. She got to hold her son for an hour before social services took her son Jamie Harbour into foster care. It was nine years later that she finally got see her son.

A woman named Sneak had been Blair’s key to survival in prison she was Blair’s prison life tour guide. But Sneak was bad company.

Blair finds out that Sneak had stolen from her, it’s just a fact that Sneak steals from everyone.

Once Blair had served her time she was free to start her life again. Months later Sneak appeared Blair’s life again she needs help finding her daughter Dayly. But Blair can’t risk being court helping Sneak, as Blair lives in fear of not being able to see her son again and saying goodbye to him for another five years.

Blair was a good person once, she was happy and respected and now she is trying to do something with her life.

The strength of story is very full of action with what Blair and Sneak get up to, that it gripped me from the beginning right up to the last page.

For fans of Martina Cole, I highly recommend you Candice Fox.

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having loved Candice Fox's Crimson Lake series, I was looking forward to reading Gathering Dark. Blair Harbour, formerly a paediatric surgeon, is on parole after being released from prison a year ago for killing a neighbour. She is working at a gas station and hoping to get to a point in her life where she can have her 9-year-old son live with her. Shortly after Blair is robbed at gunpoint while at work, her former cellmate pays her a visit and the two ladies set out to find her cellmate's daughter. Meanwhile Detective Jessica Sanchez who originally arrested Blair has troubles of her own to do with her treatment by other members of the police force due to an inheritance she received from the father of a murdered girl in another of her cases.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Blair and Jessica and contains a cast of colourful characters, some pretty tense moments, some violence and bodily injuries. The writing is every bit as good as the writing in the Crimson Creek series and, as in that series, there are many threads to follow. I'm really impressed by the author's ability to switch locales from Australia to the United States. Unfortunately there were a couple of incidents that I found distasteful and a little over the top but maybe this is how police in Los Angeles treat each other. I'm really hoping there are further books to come in this series though. Highly recommended.

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I really enjoyed this book! I have read and enjoyed several books written by Candice Fox in the past so I jumped at the chance to read this book. This story grabbed my attention from the start and kept me eagerly turning pages until the very end. I am so glad that I decided to read this wonderful book.

This story is told from two points of view. Blair was a wealthy doctor at one point in her life but that was before she served time in jail for murder. Blair now works at a local convenience store and is trying to do what needs to be done so she can spend more time with the son she gave birth to in prison. Jessica is the detective that put Blair away. Jessica recently inherited a multi-million dollar mansion much to the dismay of her co-workers within the LAPD. It is apparent that she is at a difficult point in her life. When Blair's friend from prison asks for help when her daughter goes missing, these two will form an unlikely alliance to find some answers.

I really liked the characters in this book. Blair seemed like she was a good person and she was really determined not to get in trouble. She knew what she was risking to help her friend but she couldn't find it in her to say no. Jessica was at a crossroads in her life. She was a good cop and liked her job for the most part. Inheriting the house messed everything up and opened her eyes at the same time. The secondary characters were equally well done. Sneak, Blair's friend, was a vital part of the story and often kept things interesting. Blair's son played a pivotal role in the story and made connections to both Blair and Jessica.

The mystery in this book kept me guessing. I was eager to find out what really happened to Blair's friend's daughter. As things got more complicated and new people came into play, I found myself even more curious about what had really happened and what the motive might have been. I was also very curious about the crime that sent Blair to prison. I was very pleased that the details of that crime were addressed as a second, and equally interesting, mystery in this book.

I would recommend this book to others. I found this to be an incredibly entertaining and well-written mystery thriller that was filled with wonderfully unique characters. I love the fact that the book kept me guessing until the very end. I cannot wait to read more of this talented author's work.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Forge Books via NetGalley.

Initial Thoughts
I enjoyed this book! Jessica and Blair were both great characters and they both had their flaws. They have both had things happen to them that were out of their control and paid the price for it. I liked seeing these two very different viewpoints as we progressed through the story. I was drawn into the mystery and couldn't wait to see how things would work out. There were several different things going on within the pages of this book and I liked the fact that each subplot helped to move the book forward and develop the characters. I definitely look forward to reading more of this author's work in the near future.

[Julie Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book.
By now, most of you know that I love and fully support this gritty Australian crime novelist. Gathering Dark reminds me exactly why.
We have a young girl, disappear. The group who decide to search for her are an unlikely collection of women. Her ex-con mother, Sneak, turns up at the door of Blair who is a disgraced doctor whom she helped survive prison. There is Jessica, the cop who put Blair in prison. Lastly, there is Ada, the scary chick who ruled in prison. All connected, all out for something with the search for Dayley.
This tale is told through the alternate voices of Blair and Jessica. We hear their back stories in the unfolding of the mystery of Dayley. We meet Blair’s son Jamie who becomes the link to Jessica. We meet Diggy, a forensic tech willing to help Jessica. We also meet those cops, you know, the ones who have a hard time with women in the police force.
You will fall in love with most of these characters. Blair, who is doing everything she can to regain custody or her son, but jeopardizes everything with her good heart and the need to do the right thing. Jessica, who meets the son of the woman she put away and starts to question her choices, following leads that take her further and further away from the police force she loves, whilst being taunted and harassed by her police force buddies. But mostly, Jamie. The son who links these two women will melt your heart with his innocence and blind faith in the good of people.
Once again, this book is not for the faint of heart. There is Murder, assault, kidnapping and a mystery that will tie you up in knots. There are some fantastic one liners that will make you laugh out loud but there are also scenes that will make you cringe.
If crime thrillers are your jam, then this book is for you. There is so much going on with the story and character development that you will get to the end and cry out for more. Please Candice, we need more!!!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been delighted by the international success of author, Candice Fox, whose novels I have generally found to be creative, compelling and uniquely Australian. Unfortunately I can’t say the same of Gathering Dark which reads like it was written for the lowest common denominator of the US crime/action market.

Actually that sounds a lot harsher than I intend it, in and of itself Gathering Dark offers a fast paced, action packed, entertaining story, but it was so far from what I expecting, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed

Set in L.A., newly paroled felon, Blair Harbour, is doing her best to live quietly in the hope of increasing access to her young son, when ex-cellmate ‘Sneak’ begs her to help find her missing daughter, Dayly. Despite the risk to her liberty, and life, Blair soon finds herself, with a gopher in a shoebox, careening around town in dubious company, and turning to the very detective who put her away for help when she realises she is in over her head.

The story unfolds from the perspectives of Blair, and Detective Jessica Sanchez, which run parallel until about halfway through the book. As Blair is riffling through Dayly’s few belongings, bribing a probation officer who threatens to violate her on a petty charge, and foolishly extracting a favour owed from gangster Ada Maverick; Jessica, a dedicated investigator, is dealing with jealous, venal colleagues after inheriting a multi-million dollar house from the father of a murder victim. Jessica really isn’t interested in having anything to do with Blair at all, except Blair’s son is her new neighbour, which prompts her to take a second look at Blair’s murder conviction, and what she learns, with the assistance of eccentric pathologist Diggy, suggests Jessica has a debt to repay. The situation soon goes from bad to worse in the search for Dayly, and Fox leads us on a madcap and dangerous adventure that pits the group against a mass murderer, corrupt cops, would be thieves, and each other.

Variously tense, funny, violent, poignant and outrageous, Gathering Dark is obviously best approached without preconceptions. If you can manage that then you’ll find this to be an enjoyable crime thriller.

[Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy slow burning procedurals, you may enjoy Candice Fox's Gathering Dark . This genre always is hit or miss for me, but I also appreciate the story that the author was trying to convey. Overall, I felt that the story was "fine", and would read more by the author, but I would probably not recommend to people who want something fast paced and quick.